Free Relationship Advice … From Pets

June 9th, 2010

Do you treat people like animals? Maybe you should.

A recent article from Psych Central discussed the importance of treating the people we love better … in particular, at least as well as we treat our pets. Think about your relationship with your pet; you probably have a positive and loving connection. Can you say the same for your significant other?

Researchers at Psych Central chose some key behaviors that are commonly associated with pet owners, and explained how those behaviors could help improve human interactions.

Hello, I Must Be Going
You wake up in the morning late for work, rush to get ready and burst through the front door to start your daily commute. Did you forget anything in your mad dash? What about saying “good morning” “goodbye” or “have a nice day” to your partner?

It’s an easy thing to forget. We’re all in such a hurry that even the most important things can fall by the wayside. You probably take time to greet your pet each morning and when you get home. Do you do the same for people?

A greeting, however fleeting, starts the day on a positive note. It tells the other person you’re happy to see them and eager to return. Best of all it only takes a second and can even be done while you’re getting ready to go.
When You Assume…
You just spent an hour at the grocery store and are finally headed home when you realize you forgot something important. It’s late, you don’t want to go back and battle the long lines and besides, you have food thawing in the trunk. But now you’re worried, because you just know the reaction you’ll get when someone learns about the missing item.

In fact, you’re so certain the reaction will be bad that now you’re angry in advance. How dare that person get mad at you for forgetting one measly thing! Now you’re so upset that you inadvertently start a confrontation, and when things spiral out of control, well, you knew they would. Welcome to the world of self-fulfilling prophecy.

Your significant other may have been angry, but maybe not. We never assume our pets will be in a bad mood, so we’re always happy to see them. Try giving the same benefit of the doubt to humans. Who knows, they may accentuate the positive, thank you for getting the groceries and say the missing item is no big deal.

I Can Stay Mad For A Very Long Time
Ever hold a grudge so long it had a negative effect on a relationship? Was it really worth it?

We all get angry, even at the people we love most. The trick is to learn how to let it go. Yea, I know, easier said than done, but it is important.

How long have you held a grudge against a pet who destroyed some clothing or furniture, stole food off your plate or turned your living room into a disaster zone? Probably not very long. For some reason it’s not always so easy to forgive and forget when it comes to people, but we owe it to ourselves – and to others – to try.

I Love You Just The Way You Are
What is your pet like? Lazy, hyper, affectionate, timid? Does it matter? Chances are you offer your pets the same thing that you get from them: unconditional love. We love them because of, not in spite of, their distinct personalities.

We accept our pets even if they have serious character flaws, like a tendency to eat our slippers. Unfortunately, we may not do the same for people.

If we can treat people that way – with complete acceptance – we’ll all be better off. Sure, you won’t like everyone you meet, but the trick is offering acceptance to the people who share our lives.

This goes hand-in-hand with acceptance, forgiveness and not jumping to conclusions. Pets never worry about being “dumped” because they know how much we love them. They see it in the way we treat them, and even in the way we greet them. If the people in your life feel the same, you’ll all be happier.

We can learn a lot from our pets and from the way we treat them. Our interactions with pets may help guide us to better relationship with humans. Do you have people from your past that you wish you’d treated better? It’s not too late. Find them again and make up for lost time.

Treat you pets well, treat people well, treat yourself well and thank you for reading the PeopleFinders People Search blog.

This entry was posted
on Wednesday, June 9th, 2010 at 4:08 pm and is filed under People.
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